Renovation method, especially for outdoor pools, and the renovation coating used

ABSTRACT

A renovation method and renovation coating to renovate walls or floors that include a plastic surface ( 130 ) that are in need of renovation and are provided with a coating. Several pre-shaped renovation coatings ( 150.1, . . . , 150.4 ) whose inner sides match the contour of the plastic surface ( 3 ) to be renovated are placed onto the surface and secured to it using adhesive, whereby their inner layer is formed of a hard foam and possesses at least one outer layer consisting of reinforced mortar. An additional covering layer is bound with the mortar layer.

The invention relates to a procedure for the renovation of seats, recliners, walls, or floors, and an element suitable for implementation of the procedure. The procedure and the element used for implementation of the procedure are particularly applied to renovation of outdoor pools.

The walls and bottom of swimming pools, whirlpools, and similar that consist of plastics, particularly fiber-reinforced polyesters, at least on the surface in contact with the water, become unsightly from use and maintenance. Water additives such as chlorine or chlorine compounds attack the material and its coatings.

But also the sitting and lying surfaces of seats and recliners that at least partially consist pf plastics, particularly acrylates, and also walls and floors in health centers, become unsightly from use and maintenance. Especially in steam baths and showers, the plastic is subjected to strong attack because of the increased humidity and the alternative wetting and drying.

In order to prevent health hazards to the user, aggressive chemicals are used during regular cleaning of the facilities. The daily use of water and chemical cleaning agents leads to a high degree of wear in public facilities. The plastic surfaces become cracked and scratched, and the formerly glossy surfaces become worn.

The user associates a poor appearance with the degree of cleanliness of the facility, with the result that he/she does not find it attractive and no longer wishes to use it.

Operators and users of such facilities tend to prefer ceramic construction materials such as ceramic tiles, since they are perceived as timeless and durable. Total sanitizing of the facility is very expensive, and not necessary in many cases since merely the appearance has deteriorated.

It is therefore the object of the invention to develop a technical solution that allows surfaces of walls and/or bottoms of swimming pools in need of renovation cheaply to be renovated, and, if desired, to cover with a layer of ceramic tile. Moreover, seats or recliners, particularly those with plastic surfaces, may be renovated.

Ceramic tiles may be installed directly onto existing seat or recliner surfaces with a plastic surface. However, reactive adhesives and/or accelerators are required since the foundation is not adhesive. Occupational regulations and health considerations therefore limit this direct application. The curved surfaces involved also complicate the laying of tiles.

The above-mentioned object is achieved by a renovation method per patent claim 1, or by a renovation coating per claim 8 for seats, recliners, walls, or floors with plastic surfaces requiring renovation, particularly constantly wet surfaces, that consist of at least one hard foam sandwich element whose middle layer is formed of a hard foam, and in which at least one outer layer is present that consists of a layer of reinforced mortar that is further bindable to another covering layer, whereby the inner side of the renovation coating is applicable, capable of being fixed with adhesive, and capable of being modified to fit the shape of the plastic surface of the seat, recliner, wall, or bottom of a swimming pool to be renovated. A form fit preferably exists between the renovation element and the element to be renovated.

The renovation coating for seats and recliners preferably comprises several sandwich elements bound together or joinable hard-foam sandwich elements that may be simply produced and installed.

The inner side of the hard foam sandwich element in contact with the plastic surface requiring renovation is preferably also provided with a layer of reinforced mortar.

Hard foam sandwich elements are known as construction components. A production procedure is described in DE 109 22 259 A1, to which reference will be made here as the state of the art. Also, round shower cabinets with such elements are known from DE 100 60 570.

The hard foam sandwich element may be coated on its outer surface from the outset with ceramic covering elements, particularly mosaic tiles, so that subsequent procedures must be performed on the components.

The hard foam sandwich element may be coated on its outer surface with a plastic layer suitable for sitting or integrated with the mortar layer or installed onto it, or with a layer of wood material so that there is no need for an additional tile coating.

The thickness of the sandwich elements may be between 10 to 50 mm. It is selected dependent on the plastic design and the space available. A renovation coating consisting of several hard foam sandwich elements offers first the advantage that the simply shaped elements may be produced cheaply and simply. Second, a renovation coating consisting of multiple elements that are easily assembled is easy to install since the elements are easily handled and may be modified to fit.

The hard foam sandwich element advantageously includes profile reinforcements matching the surface to be renovated over its entire surface so that shapes may be ergonomically re-contoured and matched for the tile coating.

The hard-foam plates may advantageously be fitted with a heating system whereby either pipes or heating wires may be included in the hard-foam plates.

In the following, the invention is described using Figures, which show:

FIG. 1 a partial cutaway view of a small swimming pool in perspective view;

FIG. 2 renovation coating on seats in a steam bath;

FIG. 3 a second embodiment of a renovation coating on a recliner;

FIG. 4 a third embodiment of a renovation coating.

FIG. 1 shows a small swimming pool 200 that has a figure-8-shaped crack. The bottom 1 and the closed wall 2 of the small swimming pool consists of a one-piece polyester composite reinforced with fiberglass that is covered with a coating of epoxy resin. An edge frame 3 forms the upper cap end; the pool is accessible by means of a ladder 4. Water connections and drains are not shown.

It is assumed that the plastic outer surface 130 in contact with the water requires renovation. In order to perform quick renovation that will improve it appearance, the empty small swimming pool has its bottom coated with a renovation coating 100 and its walls with a renovation coating 100′.

The renovation coating 100 intended for the bottom consists of pre-formed hard-foam sandwich elements 150.1 and 150.2 that are installed onto the bottom 1 of the small swimming pool. They form a covering layer suitable for tile laying. The hard-foam sandwich elements 150.1 and 150.2 possess inner layers of polystyrene hard foam. The inner layers are coated on their outer surfaces with a mortar layer reinforced with fiberglass cloth. The inner surfaces of the hard-foam sandwich elements are shaped to match the contour of the plastic surface 130 of the bottom so that the renovation coating 100 lies flat on the bottom surface. Securing is accomplished by gluing at individual spot locations (“Batzen”) at which an epoxy-resin adhesive binds the coating to the surface. Tiles 158 are glued to the mortar layer. Gluing using solvent-free multi-component (binary, trinary, etc.) adhesives is possible.

Similarly, the inner side of the wall 2 of the small swimming pool is coated with a compounded renovation coating 100′ that is constructed using panel-type hard-foam sandwich elements 150.3 and 150.4. Installation follows the principle of the floor plates or of the original application. The hard-foam sandwich elements with their mortar layer may be provided with a ceramic coating, or may be coated with waterproof paint. Depending on the wear load, the hard-foam sandwich elements may include various profile thicknesses across its overall surface. The thickness of the sandwich elements is usually between 10 and 50 mm.

It is particularly advantageous for the individual elements or elements shaped to fit together to be already covered with an armored mortar layer and ceramic covering elements before installation so that a tailored, rapid renovation of such pools may be performed. Another advantage is that a significant increase in thermal insulation between the water and the pool surface is achieved.

FIG. 2 shows a seat 10 of a steam bath with an installed renovation coating 100. The seat 10 originally possessed a plastic surface 30 in serious need of renovation. The surface was worn, covered with scratches and cracks; the color was bleached out.

The renovation coating 100 serves for a rapid installation of a covering layer 53 suitable for tile-laying onto the plastic surface 30 and for the shaping of a new form for the installed covering layer 53.

The renovation coating 100 covering the seat surface consists of several hard-foam sandwich elements 50.1, . . . , 50.8, whose middle layers 51.1, . . . , 51.8 are formed of a polystyrene hard foam. The inner layers 51.1, . . . , 51.8 are coated on their outer sides with a mortar layer reinforced with fiberglass cloth 52.1, . . . , 52.8. The inner sides 54.4, . . . , 54.8 of the renovation coating are molded to fit the contour of the plastic surface 30 of each installation location so that the renovation coating 100 rests with its full surface on the plastic surface 30. Attachment is by means of adhesive at individual spot locations (“Batzen”) at which an epoxy-resin adhesive connects the coating with the surface.

Mosaic tiles 58 are adhered to the mortar layer 55.1, . . . , 55.8.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the renovation coating 100 in which a plastic layer 60 suitable for a seat surface is mounted on the reinforced mortar layer 52, or is integrated into the mortar. The renovation coating 100 consists of a hard-foam sandwich element 50 mounted on a recliner 20.

FIG. 4 shows a variant of the first embodiment of the renovation coating 100 as a third embodiment. In this version of the renovation coating, the middle layer 51 is provided with an inner side 54 that includes a mortar layer 55. The connection between the inner side and the surface to be renovated is by means of solvent-free multi-component adhesives. 

1. In a method for renovating seats, recliners, walls, or floors with plastic surfaces in need of renovation and that may be provided with a coating, the improvement wherein at least one shaped hard-foam sandwich element is shaped with its inner side matching the contour of the plastic surface to be renovated is applied to this plastic surface and secured by means of adhesive, and wherein the inner layer of the shaped hard-foam sandwich element is formed of a hard foam and possesses at least one outer layer consisting of reinforced mortar which in turn is attached to an additional covering layer.
 2. Method as in claim 1, wherein the surface to be renovated is part of a pool, particularly a swimming pool.
 3. Method as in claim 2, wherein the renovation coating intended as a coating to renovate a pool is several hard-foam sandwich elements (150.1, . . . , 150.4) bound or joined together.
 4. Method as in claim 1, wherein the renovation coating intended for a seat or a recliner is several hard-foam sandwich elements bound or joined together.
 5. Method as in claim 1, wherein the inner side of the hard-foam sandwich element coming in contact with the plastic surface requiring renovation is provided with a reinforced mortar layer.
 6. Method as in claim 1, wherein the hard-foam sandwich element is at least partially covered on its outer layer with ceramic covering elements, particularly mosaic tiles.
 7. Method as in claim 1, wherein the hard-foam sandwich element includes a varying profile thickness over its entire surface.
 8. A renovation coating for performing the method as in claim 1, wherein the coating is a hard-foam sandwich element whose inner side matches the contour of the plastic surface to be renovated as an individual element or as fitting tiles, and which is coated on its outer surface with a mortar layer.
 9. Renovation coating as in claim 8, wherein outer surface of the hard-foam sandwich element bears a plastic layer suitable for a seating surface that is integrated with the mortar layer.
 10. Renovation coating as in claim 8 wherein the thickness of the sandwich elements is between 10 to 50 mm.
 11. Renovation coating as in claim 8, wherein outer surface of the hard-foam sandwich element bears a plastic layer suitable for a seating surface that is mounted onto a mortar layer.
 12. Renovation coating as in claim 8, wherein outer surface of the hard-foam sandwich element bears a plastic layer suitable for a seating surface that bears a layer of wood material. 